Medical cards for all cancer patients call

THE Council has agreed to write to the Minister for Health Simon Harris demanding he grant medical cards to all cancer patients “without delay.”

It’s on foot of a motion tabled by Fianna Fáil Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady at the October Council meeting.

Cllr O’Grady said finances were “an additional worry” for cancer patients and she was seconded by party colleague Councillor Seamus Kilgannon.

“If we could take that worry off them, it would be no small thing,” he told the meeting. “They’ve earned it,” he added.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Keith Henry supported the motion also: “They’ve enough stress going on.

He said applications for medical cards were slow anyway and anything that could be done to help would be appreciated.

Independent Councillor Margaret Gormley recalled that cancer patients used to automatically get the medical card.

“Cllr O’Grady is right. It’s a pure nightmare trying to get the Medical Card,” she said.

Independent Councillor Michael Clarke also supported the motion.

“People are at their most vulnerable time of their lives. It should be a priority,” he said. The motion was supported by all members. Cllr O’Grady appealed to all the members whose parties were in Government (Fine Gael and the Independents) to “put whatever pressure they can on the Government” on this issue.